The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Iii Part 77

_13th February 1859_.

The Queen relies with confidence that when the question of the Indian Army comes before the Cabinet, General Peel will stoutly defend the interests of the Crown and the British Army. On the opinion which he will give and maintain much of their decision must depend, and unless he speaks out boldly the Indian Secretary will have it all his own way.

[Footnote 13: General Jonathan Peel, brother of Sir Robert Peel (the Premier), and Secretary of State for War.]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _15th February 1859_.

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--We came here to _settle_ yesterday--and also here Spring seems _wonderfully forward!_ It can't last--and frost is _sure_ to _follow_ and cut off everything. At Windsor and Frogmore everything is budding--willow I see is green--rose-leaves _out_, and birds singing like in May!

Accept my warmest thanks for your kind letter of the 11th. I _still_ hope that matters _will cool_ down--the Emperor _personally_ expressed regret to Hubner for his words, disclaiming the construction put upon them, and saying that _no one could dispute_ the right of Austria to her Italian possessions.[14] He has not written to me lately, but I wrote him ten days ago a long friendly letter, speaking out _plainly_ our fears for the future, and urging him to aid us in averting the calamity of _War_....

Our Parliament is as quiet as possible as _yet_, but it will soon have more cause for _action_ and excitement....

Bertie's interview with the Pope went off extremely well. He was extremely kind and gracious, and Colonel Bruce was present; it would never have done to have let Bertie go alone, as they might hereafter have pretended, G.o.d knows! what Bertie had said.... With Albert's love, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Footnote 14: See _ante_, 13th January, 1859, note 2.]

[Pageheading: THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA]

_The Earl of Derby to Queen Victoria._

DOWNING STREET, _21st February 1859_.

Lord Derby, with his humble duty, and in obedience to the commands which he had the honour of receiving from your Majesty last night, submits the following suggestions, as embodying the substance of what, in his humble judgment your Majesty might address with advantage in a private letter to the Emperor of Austria.

Your Majesty might say, that deeply penetrated with the conviction of the duty imposed upon your Majesty of acting on the principles enunciated in the speech from the Throne, of exercising whatever influence your Majesty could employ for the preservation of the general peace, your Majesty had looked with anxiety to the circ.u.mstances which threatened its continued existence. That your Majesty was unable to see in those circ.u.mstances, any which were beyond the reach of diplomatic skill, if there were only a mutual desire, on the part of the Chief Powers concerned, to give fair play to its exercise. That the only source of substantial danger was the present state of Italy; and that even in that there would be little danger of interruption to the general tranquillity, were it not for the antagonism excited by interests and engagements, real or supposed, of France and Austria.

That your Majesty believed that the supposed divergence of these interests and engagements might be capable of reconciliation if entered into with mutual frankness, and with a mutual disposition to avoid the calamities of war; but that, as it appeared to your Majesty, neither party would be willing to invite the other to a friendly discussion of the points of difference between them.

That in this state of affairs your Majesty, as a mutual friend of both Sovereigns, and having no individual interests to serve, entertained the hope that by the spontaneous offer of good offices, your Majesty might be the means of establis.h.i.+ng certain bases, on which the Powers mainly interested might subsequently enter into amicable negotiations with regard to the questions chiefly in dispute, or threatening serious results.

Of these, the most pressing are those which relate to the Italian Peninsula.

That your Majesty, anxiously revolving in your mind the question how your Majesty's influence could best be brought to bear, had come to the conclusion that your Majesty's Amba.s.sador at Paris, having the fullest knowledge of the views entertained by that Court, and possessing your Majesty's entire confidence, might usefully be intrusted with a highly confidential, but wholly unofficial mission, for the purpose of ascertaining whether there were any possibility consistently with the views of the two Courts of offering such suggestions as might be mutually acceptable as the basis of future arrangements; and, if such should happily be found to be the case, of offering them simultaneously to the two parties, as the suggestions of a mutual friend.

That your Majesty trusted His R.I.A.[15] Majesty would look upon this communication in the truly friendly light in which it was intended, and that Lord Cowley, in his unofficial and confidential character, might be permitted fully to develop the views which your Majesty entertained, and to meet with the most favourable consideration of his suggestions from His R.I.A. Majesty.

Lord Derby, before submitting the above to your Majesty, has thought it right to communicate it to Lord Malmesbury and Lord Cowley, and he is enabled to say that it meets with their entire concurrence.[16]

He will be highly gratified if he is permitted to know that it is honoured by your Majesty's gracious approval. All which is humbly submitted by your Majesty's most dutiful Servant and Subject,

DERBY.

[Footnote 15: Royal and Imperial Apostolic.]

[Footnote 16: The Queen acted on this advice, and wrote a letter on the 22nd to the Emperor of Austria, on the lines of Lord Derby's suggestions. The material parts of it are printed in the _Life of the Prince Consort_, vol. iv. chap. 92.]

[Pageheading: CHURCH RATES]

_Mr Disraeli to Queen Victoria._

HOUSE OF COMMONS, _21st February 1859_.

(_Monday._)

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, with his humble duty to your Majesty, informs your Majesty that the Government measure on Church Rates was introduced to-night, in a very full House, and was received with so much favour that the Chancellor of the Exchequer has every belief that it will pa.s.s. This is very unexpected, and the satisfactory settlement of this long agitated and agitating question will be a great relief to public life, and tend to restore and augment the good-humour of the country.[17]

It is generally rumoured that, on Friday next, Lord Palmerston is to move a vote of censure upon your Majesty's Government with respect to their Foreign Policy. The Chancellor of the Exchequer scarcely credits this, and would rather suppose that the formal censure will take the shape of a rattling critique, preceding some Motion for papers.

[Footnote 17: Since the Braintree case in 1853, no rate could legally be levied except by the majority of the rate-payers.

The present Bill was designed to exempt Dissenters from payment, excluding them at the same time from voting on the subject in the vestry meeting. Sir John Trelawney, the leader of the Abolitionist party in the House, however, procured the rejection of the proposed measure, and a solution was not arrived at till 1868.]

[Pageheading: LORD COWLEY'S MISSION]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, _1st March 1859_.

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Many thanks for your kind letter of the 25th.

Matters remain much in the same state. Lord Cowley arrived on Sunday at Vienna, but we know nothing positive yet. I much fear the obstinacy of Austria.

It will indeed be a blessing if _we_ could do something not only to avert the war for the present, but to prevent the _causes_ of it, for the future. Nothing but improvement in the Italian Governments _can_ bring about a _better state_ of things. What is _really_ the matter with the King of Naples[18]?

We found the poor Queen really very tolerably well at Claremont on Sat.u.r.day. She is decidedly better than when we saw her at the end of November. Poor Joinville is suffering from an accident to his bad knee.

Here our Reform Bill has been brought in yesterday.[19] It is moderate, and ... [Lord John] has therefore allied himself with Mr Bright and Mr Roebuck against it! He has _no_ other followers. The Debate on Foreign Affairs on Friday was extremely moderate, and can only have done good.[20]

It is rumoured that you are going to Berlin to the Christening, but I doubt it! Oh! dearest Uncle, it _almost breaks_ my heart _not_ to witness our _first grandchild_ christened! I don't think I _ever_ felt so bitterly disappointed _about anything_ as about this! And then it is an _occasion_ so gratifying to both _Nations_, which brings them _so much_ together, that it is _most_ peculiarly mortifying! It is a _stupid law_ in Prussia, I must say, to be so particular about having the child christened so soon. However, it is now no use lamenting; please G.o.d! we shall be more fortunate another time! With Albert's affectionate love, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.